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Biomedical subjects

M Berry

Publications and source records attributed to M Berry.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Neuroendocrine primary small cell carcinoma of the breast. Report of a case and review of the literature.

One case of breast neuroendocrine primary small cell carcinoma with light microscopic and immunohistochemical findings is reported. The patient died of unrelated disease 21 months after diagnosis and treatment by modified radical mastectomy, radiotherapy and subsequent chemotherapy. Immunohistochemical studies revealed cytokeratin and neuroendocrine markers (chromogranin, neuron-specific enolase) immunostaining on tumoral cells. Expression for neuropeptides (met-enkephalin, leu-enkephalin, beta-endorphin) and CALLA antigen was found. Based on this case report and six other previously reported cases, breast neuroendocrine primary small cell carcinoma appears to be a very aggressive tumor for which no firm conclusions regarding treatment can be drawn.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

A comparison of adjustments to urinary diversions: a pilot study.

Cystectomy with urinary diversion is the treatment for many patients with bladder cancer. The ileal conduit continues to be an effective solution to the diversion problem, but it brings with it problems related to management and body image. The development of the orthotopic neobladder to the urethra is a recent effort to return the body to the most natural structure and function. This development, however, brings its own set of problems to be overcome. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the adjustments reported by male patients with ileal conduits and neobladder replacements. A questionnaire was mailed 10 to 30 months after operation to 30 patients who underwent ileal conduit and neobladder surgery. The questionnaire explored sickness-related dysfunction and adjustments the patients had to make after operation. Twenty-three patients (12 with ileal conduits and 11 with neobladders) responded to the questionnaire. There were no statistically significant differences in sickness impact scores between the ileal conduit and neobladder groups. Few patients with ileal conduits reported problems with the device. All the patients with neobladders reported some continued incontinence, primarily at night. All the patients reported erectile dysfunction, but few had sought treatment for this problem. The patients with ileal conduits reported impact on their social activities more frequently. Future research with a larger sample is needed, but this pilot study suggests that health care workers can do more to facilitate the adjustment to loss of sexual function and social interaction.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1995

Ultrasonography, computed tomography and percutaneous intervention in acute pancreatitis: a serial study.

Fifty-seven patients (45 males, 12 females) with a clinical diagnosis of acute pancreatitis were serially evaluated by ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT). Thirty patients had a single study, 18 had one follow-up study while 9 had two follow-up studies. The aetiology was gallstone disease in 26% of patients and a history of chronic alcohol abuse in only 16%. No cause could be identified in 47% of patients; 22% of US scans were unsatisfactory for the evaluation of pancreas whereas CT was uniformly satisfactory. Peripancreatic inflammation was detected in only 29% patients on US compared with 91% on CT. Pancreatic abscesses were detected in 8 patients on CT and gas was present in all of them. Fourteen patients underwent guided interventional procedures (US, 12; CT, 2). On follow up after 3 months, worsening of inflammation was detected in 11% patients on CT, which was not detected on US. It is concluded from this study that CT is far superior to US in the evaluation of acute pancreatitis, detection of peripancreatic inflammation and its extension into the retroperitoneal compartments and mesentery, and also for the evaluation of fluid collections, haemorrhage and abscesses. However, US provides easy guidance for percutaneous interventional procedures and can be used for follow-up scans.

Abscess↗
PubMed1995

Type 3 lodothyronine deiodinase: cloning, in vitro expression, and functional analysis of the placental selenoenzyme.

Type 3 iodothyronine deiodinase (D3) catalyzes the conversion of T4 and T3 to inactive metabolites. It is highly expressed in placenta and thus can regulate circulating fetal thyroid hormone concentrations throughout gestation. We have cloned and expressed a 2.1-kb human placental D3 cDNA which encodes a 32-kD protein with a Km of 1.2 nM for 5 deiodination of T3 and 340 nM for 5' deiodination of reverse T3. The reaction requires DTT and is not inhibited by 6n-propylthiouracil. We quantitated transiently expressed D3 by specifically labeling the protein with bromoacetyl [125I]T3. The Kcat/Km ratio for 5 deiodination of T3 was over 1,000-fold that for 5' deiodination of reverse T3. Human D3 is a selenoenzyme as evidenced by (a) the presence of an in frame UGA codon at position 144, (b) the synthesis of a 32-kD 75Se-labeled protein in D3 cDNA transfected cells, and (c) the presence of a selenocysteine insertion sequence element in the 3' untranslated region of the mRNA which is required for its expression. The D3 selenocysteine insertion sequence element is more potent than that in the type 1 deiodinase or glutathione peroxidase gene, suggesting a high priority for selenocysteine incorporation into this enzyme. The conservation of this enzyme from Xenopus laevis tadpoles to humans implies an essential role for regulation of thyroid hormone inactivation during embryological development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Effect of antagonists on DNA binding properties of the human estrogen receptor in vitro and in vivo.

Functional analyses, performed with the estrogen receptor (ER) isolated from different sources or produced with various expression systems, led to contradictory results concerning the role of estrogen (E2) and antiestrogens in ER DNA binding. Here we report the DNA-binding properties of the human ER and show that the wild type ER (HEG0) binds in vitro to an estrogen response element (ERE) as a dimer, irrespective of the presence or absence of estrogen. We also show that the two antihormones, 4-hydroxytamoxifen (OHT, a partial ER agonist) and ICI 164,384 (a pure antagonist) do not impair HEG0 dimerization and DNA binding in vitro. Exposure of HEG0 to elevated temperature (37 C) in vitro results in a much faster reduction of its binding capacity to an ERE in the absence of ligand or in the presence of ICI 164,384 than in the presence of either E2 or OHT. The Gly to Val mutation at amino acid 400 present in the human ER that we initially cloned (HE0), is responsible for an even faster heat inactivation of unliganded receptor compared with HEG0 and largely accounts for the previously observed in vitro ligand-dependent DNA binding of ER. We also show that, as previously observed for OHT, ICI 164,384 does not prevent ER binding to an ERE in vivo, even though ICI 164,384 acts as a pure antagonist for transcriptional activation by ER. We discuss these results in the context of a ligand-dependent interaction between the C-terminal region E, which contains the ligand-binding domain, and the N-terminal A/B region, which contains the activation function AF-1.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis: sonographic findings in patients with early disease.

OBJECTIVE: The diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis is often difficult, because clinical manifestations and results of laboratory studies are nonspecific. If sonographic findings are sufficiently characteristic for diagnosis, sonography would be useful, especially in India, where abdominal tuberculosis is common and more expensive imaging techniques are not easily available. Accordingly, we performed sonography to establish the sonographic findings in cases of early tuberculosis in 56 patients with abdominal tuberculosis who had normal barium studies of the small bowel. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fifty-six patients with clinical features suggestive of abdominal tuberculosis (history of fever, abdominal pain, and weight loss) with no history of intestinal obstruction and normal barium studies of the small bowel had abdominal sonography. All sonograms were independently assessed by three radiologists, and the findings were tabulated by consensus. Diagnosis of tuberculosis was confirmed by sonographically guided biopsy of mesenteric lymph nodes in 19 patients, analysis of aspirated ascitic fluid in 12, and response to antituberculous chemotherapy in 25. Sonography was repeated 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after antituberculous chemotherapy was begun. Abdominal sonograms were also performed in 30 healthy volunteers, and measurements of mesenteric thickness were recorded. The mesenteric thickness was statistically compared in two groups of patients: patients at presentation with patients at the end of antituberculous chemotherapy and patients at presentation with healthy individuals. RESULTS: The mesenteric thickness in healthy individuals ranged from 5 to 14 mm. Sonographic findings in all patients with abdominal tuberculosis included an echogenic thickened mesentery (> or = 15 mm) with mesenteric lymphadenopathy. Other findings were dilated small bowel loops in 38 patients, minimal ascites in 17, matted small bowel loops in five, and omental thickening with altered echogenicity in three. Regression of these changes was noted on follow-up of all patients undergoing treatment. CONCLUSION: The characteristic sonographic features of early abdominal tuberculosis are mesenteric thickness of 15 mm or more and an increase in the mesenteric echogenicity (due to fat deposition), combined with mesenteric lymphadenopathy. Presence of dilated small bowel loops and ascites further substantiate the diagnosis.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1995

Extensive regeneration in vitro by early embryonic neurons on immature and adult CNS tissue.

The failure of axon regeneration in the injured adult CNS has been ascribed to axon growth inhibitory molecules expressed by the resident glial cell populations, especially oligodendrocytes. Unlike their adult counterparts, however, early embryonic neurons are able to send lengthy axons through myelinated fiber tracts when transplanted into the adult brain. One explanation is that they have yet to express receptors for factors that inhibit the growth of older neurons. To test this possibility, we have used the cryoculture technique to study the regeneration of rat central and peripheral neurons, over a developmental period that encompasses the stages before, during, and after target contact, when cultured on either unmyelinated (neonatal) or myelinated (adult) optic nerve tissue sections. Early embryonic (days 14-15) retinal ganglion cells extended neurites on neonatal optic nerve, but few grew on adult optic nerve. In the case of early embryonic dorsal root ganglion neurons, however, neurite outgrowth on either neonatal optic nerve or on adult optic nerve was extensive. This response declined sharply with age. In contrast, neurite outgrowth by dorsal root ganglion neurons on laminin substrata remained relatively constant (> 80% extended neurites) over the same period. This suggests that (a) inhibition of neurite outgrowth within the optic nerve is mediated not only by oligodendrocytes, but also by molecules expressed prior to the onset of myelination; (b) neurons acquire receptors for these inhibitors only late in embryonic development; (c) differences exist between developing central and peripheral neurons in the response to myelin-associated axon-growth inhibitors.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Unusual radiological manifestations of Lemierre's syndrome: a case report.

Lemierre's syndrome is an uncommon clinical entity characterized by oropharyngeal infection followed by septic thrombophlebitis of the jugular vein with embolization to the lungs and other organs. The organism is a gram-negative anaerobic bacterium, Fusobacterium necrophorum. We report a case of Lemierre's syndrome in an 8-year-old child who presented with septic arthritis of the left hip joint. Roentgenograms and computed tomography demonstrated gas in the joint and adjacent soft tissues, along with a dislocated hip. Sonography of the neck coupled with the colour Doppler technique did not reveal any abnormality in the jugular veins. A blood culture grew Fusobacterium necrophorum, confirming the diagnosis of Lemierre's syndrome.

Arthritis, Infectious↗
PubMed1994

The calcitonin gene is expressed in salmon gills.

Calcitonin is an important physiological regulator of salmon gills. Although the calcitonin receptor was found in salmon gills, the critical question concerning the source of the hormone remained unanswered. In this communication, evidence is presented for expression of calcitonin mRNA and its encoded peptide in gills of the pink salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha. The expression of calcitonin gene transcripts was demonstrated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Southern hybridization, and sequencing. The sequencing identified a sequence corresponding to that of exon 4 of the salmon calcitonin gene. Expression of the encoded calcitonin gene in gills was detected by radioimmunoassay in gill extracts. This synthesis of calcitonin in gills, which also possess specific receptors to the peptide, suggests function of an autocrine or paracrine process producing calcitonin in this tissue. These observations confirm and extend previous reports on the physiological role of calcitonin in fish gills.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Regeneration of axons into the trochlear rootlet after anterior medullary lesions in the rat is specific for ipsilateral IVth nerve motoneurones.

The fibre projection from the IVth nerve nucleus to the superior oblique muscle was determined quantitatively in the normal rat by defining fibre numbers in transverse sections of the IVth nerve, and neurone numbers after retrograde labelling by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injection into the muscle. There were 183 +/- 27 (S.E.) labelled neurones in the nucleus contralateral to the injected muscle and only 2 +/- 1 ipsilateral. The ipsilateral fibre number was 234 +/- 7 and the cell/axon ratio 0.8 +/- 0.1. Extensive analysis of all HRP retrogradely labelled material revealed no central fibre contribution to the IVth nerve other than from neurones resident in the trochlear nucleus. The central portion of the trochlear nerve tract was severed at its point of decussation in the anterior medullary velum. Ninety days after lesion, 10 +/- 4 (6% of control) neurones were labelled in the ipsilateral trochlear nucleus; none were labelled in the contralateral nucleus or in any other part of the midbrain, pons, medulla, or cerebellum. The number of myelinated fibres in the IVth nerve had decreased to 21 +/- 5 (9% of control) so that the cell/axon ratio was 0.4 +/- 0.2, thus suggesting that a single motoneurone has more fibres after lesion. In electron micrographs of the IVth nerve, larger than normal numbers of unmyelinated fibres were seen. Many myelinated fibres displayed signs of abnormal myelination. After regeneration, the projection was exclusively ipsilateral and not crossed as in the normal. These findings establish that there is a high degree of specificity after regeneration since no myelinated central nervous system axons other than trochlear fibres select the IVth nerve root as a trajectory over which to regenerate.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Effects of transforming growth factor beta 1 on scar production in the injured central nervous system of the rat.

In the central nervous system (CNS), nerve regeneration after traumatic injury fails. The formation of a dense fibrous scar is thought to restrict in part the growth of axonal projections, providing one of the many reasons that complete lesions of neural pathways in the adult mammalian CNS are rarely followed by significant functional recovery. In order to determine which mechanisms mediate scar formation in the CNS and to investigate whether they can be modulated in vivo, we have attempted to define the potential role of trophic factors. Our previous studies have shown the focal elevation of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) expression in lesioned CNS tissue. In the studies described here, we demonstrate that TGF beta 1 participates in the scarring response in the rat brain. First, the elevated protein levels of TGF beta 1 are localized to specific populations of injury-responsive cells in the traumatized CNS. Furthermore, the injection of TGF beta 1 into the brains of injured rats causes a dramatic increase in the scarring response. Conversely, when neutralizing TGF beta 1 antibodies are administered, the deposition of fibrous scar tissue and the formation of a limiting glial membrane that borders the lesion is significantly attenuated, thus establishing a role for the endogenous growth factor in regulation of the non-glial component of the scar. In implicating TGF beta 1 in the scarring response in the CNS, the potential use for TGF beta 1 antagonists as inhibitors of scar formation in the injured mammalian CNS is self-evident.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Confocal imaging of glial cells in the intact rat optic nerve.

Astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in the isolated intact mature rat optic nerve have been computer imaged in three dimensions by laser scanning confocal microscopy of single cells, dye-filled with lysinated rhodamine dextran (LRD). Our results illustrate the first application of these techniques to an intact CNS white matter tract and provide comparative data for previous studies on neonatal rat optic nerve (Butt and Ransom: Glia 2:470-475, 1989; Butt and Ransom: J Comp Neurol 338:141-158, 1993). The combined use of intracellular injection of LRD and confocal imaging significantly improves the resolution of glial cell structure, particularly that of mature astrocytes, for a number of reasons. 1) Single mature dye-filled glia can be imaged, because LRD does not pass through gap junctions. 2) The entire process field of astrocytes can be visualized in a single two-dimensional image. 3) Cell images can be rotated through 360 degrees in all planes to provide a new perspective of glial cell structure in the intact tissue. 4) Reconstruction of optical sections, within a narrow focal plane, provides a high definition and resolution of the finer details of glial morphology. Using these techniques, three astrocyte subclasses were distinguished on morphological criteria. It is the conclusion of this study that the majority of these forms represent a single population of fibrous astrocytes which are well-suited to perform the multiple functions attributed to astrocytes in the CNS. The morphology of mature myelin-forming oligodendrocytes was also described.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1994

The development of the radial glial scaffold of the cerebellar cortex from GFAP-positive cells in the external granular layer.

We have reinvestigated the origin and genesis of the radial glia of the cerebellar cortex in the hamster using three astroglial markers, vimentin, GFAP, and S-100 protein antibodies. On embryonic day 12 (E12), before the emergence of the external granular layer, the cerebellar anlage is traversed from the ventricle to the pial surface by a primordial radial glial scaffold which is vimentin-positive, but GFAP and S-100 negative. With the formation of the external granular layer on E13, a few GFAP positive cells appear among the unstained external granular layer cells. First seen within the germinal trigone and caudalmost part of the external granular layer, they then develop rostrally, amongst the cells of the expanding external granular layer, proliferating adjacent to the basement membrane. Beginning on E15, cells that are positive for the S-100 protein also appear within the external granular layer and the molecular zone. In later stages, S-100 is strongly expressed in Golgi epithelial cells, so we have considered it to be a marker for these cells. By contrast, the primordial radial glial cells were not stained with this marker. On the day of birth (E16/PO) many S-100 positive cells also appear at intermediate levels between the EGL and the Purkinje cell plate. They are unipolar and bear a single radial process that is directed towards the pial surface. The caudorostral appearance of S-100-positive cells firstly in the external granular layer, then in the molecular zone and finally in the Purkinje cell plate is identical to the temporal sequence of development of these layers, and suggests that S-100-positive cells are at first integral constituents of the external granular layer, but later descend through the molecular zone, to colonize the Purkinje cell plate. Here they proliferate and ultimately differentiate into Golgi epithelial cells, their numerous short radial glial processes traversing the molecular zone and the external granular layer to fill the interstices between the primordial radial glial fibres. At birth, S-100-positive Golgi epithelial cells have progressively colonized the Purkinje cell plate from the germinal trigone rostrally, up to a region midway between primary fissure and anterior medullary velum and, between P2 and P3, the rostralmost part of the cerebellum has become populated. GFAP- and S-100-positive cells remain in the external granular layer up to the end of the first postnatal week. In the same interval, the number of Golgi epithelial cells and Bergmann glial fibres increases rapidly in the expanding cerebellar cortex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1994

A time course study of the alterations in the development of the hamster cerebellar cortex after destruction of the overlying meningeal cells with 6-hydroxydopamine on the day of birth.

This study is a chronological analysis of 6-hydroxydopamine-induced alterations in development of the hamster cerebellar cortex. This treatment destroys the overlying meningeal cells, the sequelae of which include (i) a thinning of the external granular layer over the folial apices and a thickening in the region of the prospective fissures, reflecting a retardation of the growth of the cerebellar cortex, accompanied by displacement of the normally superficialmost GFAP-positive external granular layer cells into deeper parts of the external granular layer; (ii) a retardation of multiplication of Golgi epithelial cells which colonize the rostral third of the Purkinje cell layer so that their numbers decrease in the rostralmost folia; (iii) disturbed morphological and biochemical differentiation of the Golgi epithelial cells and their processes, the growing radial Bergmann glial fibres which detach from the pial surface and branch within the external granular layer, causing a failure in endfeet formation at the superficial glia limitans, loss of characteristic radial morphology, with the adoption of a multipolar form, and normal or increased GFAP expression and decreased S-100 expression; (iv) fragmentation of the external granular layer beyond P5 to P7 with loss of the regular lamination and foliation of the cerebellar cortex, characterized by a completely random distribution of fragments of Purkinje cell layer, molecular zone and internal granular layer. We conclude that the destruction of meningeal cells interferes with the establishment and stabilization of both the external granular layer and the secondary radial glial scaffold composed of Golgi epithelial cells, whose proliferation, growth and differentiation is subsequently disturbed. The failure to stabilize the external granular layer and to form a normal secondary radial glial scaffold is, in turn, responsible for the disruption of the regular laminar deposition of the neurons of the cerebellar cortex.

Animals↗